Copy That Floppy guide targets archivists who need to capture 8‑inch, 5.25‑inch, 3.5‑inch, and 3‑inch media for long‑term storage. It skips writing disks and focuses on imaging. The text assumes familiarity with write blockers and basic command‑line use. The first section teaches users to identify carriers by size, density marks (HD, DD, SS, DS), and region‑specific labels from sources like the University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries and the Museum of Obsolete Media. It explains how to photograph the physical disk to provide provenance for the image.

Hardware selection follows. The guide lists compatible drives, notes that 3‑inch Amstrad disks can be flipped for DS use, and warns about hard‑sectored drives that only work with 5.25‑inch or 8‑inch media. Cleaning tips cover dust removal and mold prevention, and the text stresses the importance of a clean surface before imaging.

Imaging instructions cover flux‑stream capture versus sector reads. The flux method preserves the raw magnetic pattern, enabling future decoding with tools like Kryoflux. The guide links to community workshops, including the Copy that Floppy Cafe and i PRES 2024, and points to further resources for post‑image analysis.

Final analysis: The workflow delivers a reproducible, lossless snapshot of fragile media, allowing archivists to recover data with future decoding tools while maintaining audit trails. It bridges retro hardware knowledge with modern preservation standards.